Ace Dat Psych Exam

Researcher

Rosenzweig and Bennett (1972)

Aim

To measurement the effect of either enrichment or deprivation on the development of neurons in the cerebral cortex

Procedure

Rats into one of two environments

Enriched environment EC - 10-12 rats, has toys, received maze training

Impoverished condition (IC)- no stimulations, isolation

30-60 days in their respective environment

Finding

In the stimulating environment, rats have thicker cortex, frontal lobe is heavier

EC rats developed more acetylcholine receptors in the cerebral cortex

Evaluation

Generalization?

Good for cause-and-effect relationship

Human brains differ in terms of genetic make-up and the environmental inputs that they receive

Importance of education

Dendritic branching

Invasive techniques - Ablation or lesioning brain tissue in order to study behavioral changes

EEG - When neurons transport information through the brain, they have an electrical charge. The EEG registers patterns of voltage change in the brain. Limitations: Cannot reveal what is happening in deeper brain regions, can't show the actual function of the brain

PET - Scan monitors  glucose metabolism in the brain. It can record ongoing activity in the brain, such as thinking.

Researcher

Scarr and Weinberg (1977), Horn (1979)

Procedure

Parents who raise both adopted and natural children

Any significant differences between parent-child IQ correlations for adopted and natural children should be attributable to genes

Finding

No significant difference

Researcher

Bouchard (1990)

Procedure

MZAs: identical twins raised apart 

MZTs: identical twins raised together

Longitudinal study

Mean age of MZAs: 41

Finding

Concordance rate

MZA: 76%

MZT: 86%

Researcher

Milner (1957)

Procedure

H.M. epileptic seizures

Case study

Surgery of removing tissues from medial temporal lobe, including the hippocampus

H.M. suffers from amnesia

He cannot create new episodic and semantic memories

He can learn procedural memories

Same intelligent level and personality

Finding

Hippocampus is important in memory processing (convert memories of experiences from ST memory to LT memory) and storing new memories

Hippocampus is a temporary memory store (H.M. remembers memory before the surgery)

There are different memory systems in the brain

Evaluation

Ethic

Case study --> generalization

Oxytocin

A hormone that links to trust

It can also play a role in reducing fear reactions via the amygdala that may arise as a consequence of betrayal

Researcher

Baumgartner (2008)

Aim

Investigate the role of oxytocin after breaches of trust in a trust game

Procedure

Trust game

Player 1 (investor) receives money, if he/she decides to keep/share the money with player 2 (trustee), the money is tripled, player 2 then decide if this money should be shared/kept

49 participants who receive either oxytocin or placebo, fMRI

50% of the trust is broken

Finding

Placebo group shows less trust. They invest less

Oxytocin group continues to invest

fMRI scan shows decreases in responses in the amygdala and the caudate nucleus

Evaluation

Explains why people can restore trust and forgive in long-term relationships.

fMRI is just mapping the activity

Researcher

Martinez and Kesner (1991)

Aim

Acetylcholine and memory formation 

Procedure

Rats are trained to go through a maze and get to the end where there is food

After that, the rats are divided into three groups

Group 1: Receive scopolamine (blocks ACh receptor sites, reduce available ACh)

Group 2: Receive physostigmine (blocks cholonesterase which leans up ACh from the synapses, more available ACh)

Control group

ACh level:

Group 1 < Control group < Group 2

Finding

Speed and accuracy of going through the maze

Group 1 < Control group < Group 2

Cause and effect relationship

Evaluation 

ACh is important in memory

Controlled lab experiment 

Reductionist 

Cause and effect

Generalization of animal studies to human

Researcher

Kasamatsu and Hairai (1999)

Aim

How sensory deprivation affects the brain

Procedure

Buddhist monks go to a holy mountain

During the stay, no water or water, no talking, cold weather for 48 hours

Monks have hallucinations

Researcher take their blood samples before monks go to the mountain and immediately after they reported to have hallucinations

Finding

Serotonin levels increase in the monk's brains

Neurotransmitter

Underlies behavior as varied as mood, memory, sexual arousal, and mental illness.

Serotonin

Acetylcholine

Dopamine

Hormone

Cortisol

Behavior can be innate because it is genetically based

Animal research can provide insights into human behavior

Discuss the role of communication in maintaining relationships

Attribution - Bradbury and Fincham 

Communication Style - Deborah Tannen

Social Penetration Theory 

Self-Disclosure 

Evaluate two theories explaining altruism in humans

Kin Selection Theory - Hamilton, Madsen 

Empathy-Altruism Theory - Batson 

Negative State Relief - Cialdini

Discuss sociocultural explanations of the origins of violence

Deindividuation Theory

Diener 

Aim

Honor culture and aggression 

Procedure

South - honor 

Uni students 

Insult participants publicly

Measure cortisol and  testosterone levels through saliva and blood test 

Finding

South - cortisol rises 79%, higher testosterone 

North - cortisol rises 33% 

EValuation 

Culture norms --> retaliation 

Phenomenon of a person or people not intervening despite awareness of another person's need

Major factors that influence bystanderism

Diffusion of responsibility

Arousal, cost & reward

Similarity, attributions

Mood

Researcher

Piliavin (1969)

Procedure

NY subway

4 teams, 1 black 3 whites, cane/drunk

Participants are everyone who saw the incident

4450 people

Covert field observation

Finding

Drunk people are helped 19/38

Cane people are helped 62/65

Helpers are 90% male 64% white

Sick are more likely to receive help --> attribution and costs

Men help male victims --> competence and costs of lifting people

Same race help same race --> similarity and costs

Diffusion of responsibility is not observed because there is way less ambiguity in the situation